Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo says that Tom Holland has taken over as the “soul” of the MCU. During last night’s red carpet for Spider-Man: No Way Home, Comicbook.com’s Brandon Davis asked the filmmaker about this very idea. In short, the relatability of Holland as an actor was a huge reason why they cast him for this part. Peter Parker is a huge part of the Marvel comics universe and it should be no different on film. However, a lot of fans believed that he could do with a push to be more like his comic book counterpart. With No Way Home, the company is firmly putting its full support behind Holland as one of the main players in Phase 4 and beyond. If there are any emotional beats that will shake the MCU to their core, you can probably expect Peter Parker to be front and center moving forward. Read what Russo had to say down below:
“The reason why he cast him was he was a really dynamic, charismatic actor. He captured the essence of Peter Parker for us, that youthful, funny, sarcastic, charming, vulnerable, version of Peter Parker that I knew growing up and reading the comics,” Russo explained. “So, I said this not too long ago, but I really feel like he’s taken over the mantle as sort of this soul of the Marvel universe, the emotional core of it. The audience has been through a lot with his character. I think they feel very emotionally connected to his character and here we are in a gigantic, climactic, movie for the Home series.”
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This isn’t the first time the idea of Holland as the face of the MCU has come up in recent weeks. In fact, it’s gotten back to the Spider-Man actor. He talked to Josh Wilding about the idea of him as the soul of the MCU this month.
“I mean, I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’m the face of the universe. I know that fans are really supportive and have responded massively to this franchise. I’m honored that Joe thinks that. But, the beautiful thing about the MCU is, whoever is the leader, if there ever is a leader again, you’re never alone,” Holland clarified. “You have so many people that you can rely on and lean on, and people that I’ve now worked with for years and years. So, I don’t necessarily feel those pressures, but should I feel those pressures, then yes, I’ll call Downey and ask, yeah. I called him the other day for a piece of advice, and he was very kind.”
Do you think that Spider-Man should be the soul of the MCU after No Way Home? Let us know in the comments!
